Sarah Palin, Come Back! SNL Needs You

Broadcasters say 'overexposed' prez wastes valuable time

(NEWSER) - Networks are not happy about the primetime hour that President Obama's July 22 news conference took up, reports Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post. Rahm Emanuel called the top brass at all three networks to ensure they carried the event. The networks both resent the pressure and complain that they’re not getting their money’s worth. “There was nothing” newsworthy, says one CBS VP. “There hardly ever is these days.” More»

(NEWSER) - Some are complaining that NBC used Brian Williams’ interview with President Obama to hawk its late night shows, Deadline Hollywood reports. The interview featured plugs for both Conan O’Brien’s Tonight Show takeover and Fred Armisen’s impression of Obama on Saturday Night Live. “Obama owes NBC so much for shilling for him, he wanted so shill back,” one right-wing commentator quipped. More»

Maya Rudolph guest hosts; celebrity cameos abound

(NEWSER) - Saturday Night Live pulled out all the stops—and all the bad sports cliches/Asian puns—in mocking the "Linsanity" that's swept New York over Taiwanese-American Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin. "Commentators—two black and two white—use Asian stereotypes when discussing Lin, each more offensive than the last," notes the Hollywood Reporter . "But when one of the white commentators uses an African American stereotype, things get ugly." Other highlights include Amy Poehler teaming with Seth Meyers to tackle this week's birth control brouhaha on "Really?!" and Justin Timberlake spoofing Bon Iver in serenading Blue Ivy Carter—and himself—off to sleep. Fred Armisen also morphed into Barack Obama-Bill Cosby for a spot-on spoof of The Cosby Show. Catch the highlights in the gallery. More»

Amy Poehler debuts as host

(NEWSER) - Politics took center stage on Saturday Night Live's new season last night, with Christine O'Donnell taking some hits and David Paterson dropping by to dole some out. In Christine O'Donnell Cold Open, the candidate assures GOP execs that she now masturbates constantly (in fact excusing herself to do so), once ran a dogfighting operation (that put Michael Vick's to shame), and sorta burned somebody's house down—for revenge, though, not money. More»

Octogenarian's hosting stint tops Ben Affleck's November 2008 effort

(NEWSER) - With Betty White hosting , Saturday Night Live drew its best ratings of the season and the largest audience since Nov. 1, 2008, when John McCain appeared with the Tina Fey version of then-running mate Sarah Palin. The broadcast thrashed not just its time-slot competitors but also every primetime show, reports Entertainment Weekly . Your move, Alec Baldwin . More»